


paradise lost

by aliased



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26653837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliased/pseuds/aliased
Summary: Sometimes, after drifting off to the blank ceiling of the Shinra barracks, Cloud allows himself to dream.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	paradise lost

**Author's Note:**

> loosely inspired by strawderryst's lovely artwork, found here: https://twitter.com/StrawderryST/status/1292823676296011778?s=20

Sometimes, after drifting off to the blank ceiling of the Shinra barracks, Cloud allows himself to dream.

He enters Nibelheim during golden hour, with all the fanfare that comes with being a newly minted SOLDIER. His mother greets him at the gate, a proud smile lighting her face. Cloud feels a smile spread across his own.

He approaches her and wraps his mother in a warm embrace. “Cloud,” she says. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.”

Claudia and son walk and talk the short distance back to their home, but not without a brief stop in front of the water tower. Cloud looks up and stares at the slowly spinning wheel before turning his attention to the house of the girl next door. It hasn’t changed in the two years he’s been gone.

For a moment, Cloud thinks he sees a flash of movement at the upstairs window. The curtains rustle as a girl’s figure quickly retreats from view.

“Are you hungry? I’ll make your favorite for dinner tonight.” Cloud snaps out of his reverie at his mother’s inquiry.

“Starving,” he says. Claudia grins and rustles her dearest son’s hair.

“You don’t miss the ponytail? I do.”

Cloud grimaces. “Mom, I’m sixteen now. And a SOLDIER. The ponytail was too… childish.”

“Ah, right. You’re an ‘adult’ now — no more playing around for you, right?” Claudia chuckles, amused at her son’s reaction. “So mature.”

“I am mature.”

“Of course, of course.”

Mother and son laugh in jest as they step into their home and the front door closes behind them. All is well.

* * *

Later that night, after his mother has fallen asleep, Cloud sneaks out of the house and into the crisp night air of Nibelheim. A gentle breeze passes through the town, and he shivers ever so slightly.

He jogs the short distance to the water tower, and climbs the old ladder to the landing. The windows of neighboring houses are dark, but the moon provides enough light to see through the shadowy darkness.

Cloud looks up and the galaxy opens up before him, the stars shimmering in the midnight sky. His eyes close, and he’s brought back to a night not unlike this one, where two teenagers whispered promises to each other — secrets between them and the heavens above.

For a moment, all Cloud can hear are the chirps of crickets and the sound of his own heartbeat.

“This is kind of like deja vu, huh?”

Cloud whips his head to the direction of the lilting voice as Tifa Lockhart’s head peeks around the corner of the water tank. She’s dressed in a farm girl outfit, cowboy hat and all.

Cloud thinks she’s never looked prettier. “Tifa,” he breathes.

Tifa blushes when she notices him staring at her clothes. “I-it’s, um, courtesy of being the town tour guide.” She reaches up and pulls her hat off, ruffling her hair a bit. Cloud swallows nervously when she sits down next to him, her legs swinging gently.

Deja vu, indeed.

“What are you doing here?” He asks. “It’s late.”

“I saw you come up here.” Tifa says. She grips her hat tightly. “I wanted to say hi.”

“Does your dad know you’re here?”

“Don’t worry, he’s asleep.”

“Ah.”

A soft silence falls over the two adolescents, each too nervous to break the spell that has settled. Cloud notices soft puffs of air as Tifa breathes.

“Are you cold?”

Tifa shrugs. “I’m okay. Used to it.” But she takes the chance to shift slightly toward him. Cloud is painfully aware at the heat radiating off her body. He tries to concentrate on something else — anything else.

Her lips? They look so soft.

Cloud shakes his head and opens his mouth— “So... it’s been a while,” and immediately regrets his lack of a stimulating conversation starter.

Tifa giggles, unperturbed at the nervousness Cloud is positive is radiating off of him. “Yeah, two years is a long time.” She looks down at her feet shyly. “How’s living in Midgar?”

“It’s— busy. I don’t get to do much sightseeing. Aside from missions around town.”

“Still, must be nice to be in a big city. You can be whoever you want to be, go wherever you want to go. Not like here.”

Cloud swallows. “You could come visit, if you want.”

“Really?” Tifa raises her eyebrows. “You mean that?”

“Y-yeah, I could show you around.”

Tifa grins, eyes bright. “I might take you up on that. You can be my tour guide.”

“I might need some tips from you,” Cloud replies, a smile crossing his own face.

“How’s your ‘History of Midgar’ knowledge?”

“Not great…”

Tifa laughs. “Well, then we have a lot to work on…”

* * *

Cloud doesn’t know how long they’ve been sitting up here, or what time it is. How many hours have passed? It doesn’t matter. All he knows is that the girl of his dreams is laughing and leaning against him and god, she smells so nice.

But all good things must come to an end.

Tifa shyly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I should— I should go. My dad wakes up early.”

“Oh, yeah. Of course.” Cloud winces at the disappointment in his own voice. A gentle hand on his arm prompts him to look back up at Tifa. Her face is close.

She leans in, and once again only the skies are privy to the secrets shared between them. A soft whisper and— “I missed you.” Her breath tickles his ear and she retreats again, a rosy blush dusting her already wind-chilled cheeks.

Tifa moves to get up, but Cloud reaches up and tugs lightly on her arm. “Wait.”

She tilts her head, eyes expectant. Before he loses his courage, Cloud carefully leans in. Tifa’s eyes widen for a brief moment and he pauses, not wanting to scare her away.

But her eyes slip closed, as do his, and Cloud finally gets a little taste of heaven.

* * *

When Cloud wakes, he is still a Shinra foot soldier.

Another infantryman knocks on the open door and motions toward Cloud. “You’re wanted for a special mission. The team is downstairs.”

Cloud begrudgingly gets out of bed and makes his way down to the mission center. He perks up when he sees Zack, who waves at him as he approaches. Another man — whom Cloud recognizes as the great war hero — speaks in low tones with a scientist.

“We’re going on a mission together?” Cloud asks, eyes still lingering in awe at the imposing height of Sephiroth. The older man pays him no mind.

Zack grins. “Yeah — to Nibelheim.”

* * *

This Nibelheim visit is not the one from Cloud’s dreams.

Heat permeates everything. Fire and brimstone as far as the eye can see. People screaming and children crying. The water tower has collapsed.

His mother is dead.

And Tifa. Where is Tifa?

“Tifa!” Cloud yells, but his voice is hoarse from the smoke. He coughs violently and shields his mouth, stumbling blindly through the haze.

He sees signs of movement out of the corner of his eye — an older man struggles to keep two other villagers alive as he drags them away from the spreading fires. Cloud rushes over.

“Did you see— did you see who did this?” Cloud asks.

The old man grunts as he lifts one of the villagers over his shoulder. “That silver-haired SOLDIER, Sephiroth.”

“Where did he go?”

“Toward the mako reactor.“

“Thank you—“

“I wouldn’t follow him, if that’s what you’re planning, boy. He’ll kill you.”

Cloud swivels around and starts running away. “I have to.”

“Stupid kid, you’ll get yourself killed!” The old man shakes his head and watches as Cloud rushes up the mountain path.

* * *

Cloud breathes heavily as he runs up the steps of the mako reactor. Please, please, please.

The inside of the reactor is eerily quiet, and Cloud cautiously treks up the stairs, intensely aware of his surroundings and the strong mako smell. He spots Zack collapsed on the stairs— and there, around the corner, is Tifa. She looks small, and Cloud wants nothing more in that moment than to run and hold her in his arms. But—

A loud crash comes from the heart of the reactor, and in a fury Cloud rushes into the room. And there he stands: Sephiroth — the man who’s destroyed his hometown, his family, and his dreams.

Cloud picks up the buster sword while Sephiroth is occupied with Jenova and takes only a second to run the sword through the man he used to idolize.

The glass holding Jenova begins to break and fluid starts to flow out of the cracks. Cloud wastes no more time, spinning on his heel and running back toward Zack and Tifa. He throws his helmet aside on the way out.

At the bottom of the stairs, Cloud gently lifts Tifa into his arms and carries her away from the wreckage. In another life, he’d be carrying her like this for a different reason.

He gently sets her down on the floor, looking for any sign of movement.

“Tifa. Tifa, wake up.” Cloud gently shakes her, but there’s nothing. And strangely, Tifa looks so serene in her unconsciousness, unperturbed by the chaos around her. For a moment, everything is calm.

Cloud reaches out and softly cups her face, smoothing his thumb over her cheek.

“Cloud.” Zack’s voice. Cloud snaps out of his reverie to find his friend awake. “Cloud. You have to finish him.”

The buster sword lies on the floor between them.

* * *

In the aftermath, Cloud lies in a pool of his own blood. The smell of mako is almost as overwhelming as the pain in his stomach, but neither compare to the tightness of his heart.

This is where it ends, he thinks.

The last thing Cloud hears before he succumbs to the pull of unconsciousness is a scraggly voice saying, “Make sure you take this one. Him and that black-haired SOLDIER. They’ll be useful.”

But the last thing Cloud sees is the cheerful smile of a girl with red eyes and dark hair, as she leans in to usher him into an innocent request, and a promise of better days.


End file.
